Flares are used in various applications for the disposal of waste gases through combustion. For example, when an oil well is tested, combustible gases may be burned off through the use of a flare tank or stack.
In previous operations, mud from the drill rig which contained combustible gases was piped to or disposed of in a flare pit adjacent to the drill rig. The flare pit is simply a hole dug in the ground which is used to hold the mud. However, the combustible gases can separate from the mud in the flare pit and accidentally ignite thereby causing emissions to the atmosphere which are environmentally unattractive and dangerous to closely located personnel both by way of danger to the person and also due to the possibility of starting a grass or brush fire. Likewise, the mud in the flare pit and the combustible gas can create ground contamination which is also of concern for environmental reasons. Finally, it is necessary to often haul away the mud within the flare pit due to the contamination by unburned gases. This is costly.
European Patent Application No. 211 492 discloses an apparatus for separating oil from produced water at a wellhead. The apparatus includes a separator that operates at elevated pressure to separate the wellhead product into a three components, one of which is a gas product. The apparatus is provided with a pipe for introducing the wellhead product into the separator and a baffle which forms a weir over which a substantial proportion of the oil in the wellhead product flows. The gas component is removed through a pipe for storage or supply to a pipeline or for burning off.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a flare tank which facilities separation of the combustible gases from the fluid being treated for gas disposal. It is a further object of the invention to provide a flare tank which is portable so as to minimize disturbances on work sites. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a flare tank which is safe and not susceptible to damages associated with an explosion in the flare tank.